COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina could feel significant impacts if Congress fails to reach a deal to avoid a federal government shutdown .

A closure would send nonessential federal employees home without pay. According to the Library of Congress, South Carolina had more than 24,000 federal civilian workers last year. Their work spans everything from health inspections to medical services.

TSA agents at Columbia Metropolitan Airport and employees at Fort Jackson would continue working without pay until the government reopens.

Joseph Von Nessen, a research economist at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, said the severity of a shutdown depends on how long it lasts.

“The impact of a government shutdown really depends on the length,” Von Nessen said. “If we

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